


Lullaby

by Wiccanangel12



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Child Abuse, Female Chara, Female Frisk, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Parent Sans (Undertale), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, mentioned genocide run
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2018-12-18 16:42:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11878599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wiccanangel12/pseuds/Wiccanangel12
Summary: Making it to the surface should have been the happy ending everyone was looking for; however, for Frisk the nightmare of what occurred underground is still fresh in her mind. Unable to cope with her guilt Frisk decides to return to the very place she was trying to escape from in the first place. Things only continue to get worse the monster fail to gain the trust of the humans and they are forced back to the foot of Mt. Ebott and a familiar dark presence begins to make itself know in Frisk’s dreams.Frisk will need to find the determination to defeat her demons.





	1. Chapter One

The sun was beginning to peek over the horizon, and a warm breeze came blowing in from the north over the mountains. Frisk reached up to move a piece of chocolate brown hair that had fluttered into her eyes by the playful wind. She stared at the rising sun with her warm hazel eyes with an overwhelming sense of peace. Off in the distance, she could make out the tiny speck of her home town.

She turned her gaze away from the speck when she heard a shout. Undyne was holding Papyrus in a head lock. They were discussing what they would do on the surface, though it was more like a shouting match. Frisk joined the laughter of the other monster who were standing around. Everyone was enjoying the feeling of the sun on their sun for the first time in centuries. Frisk felt a sense of contentedness wash over her at the sight of her friend's happiness. She could almost forget everything that had happened in the underground.

“What about you Frisk?” Alphys startled Frisk out of her thoughts, and the solitary human jumped. The drake was giving Frisk a curious look. “Now that we’re out of the underground what will you do?” The cliff fell silent and everyone turned to look at Frisk with the same curiosity. Frisk fell silent as she thought about the question.

“I don’t know,” Frisk finally admitted, bringing up a hand to scratch at her head. “I guess I hadn't thought about it.”

“You were pretty set on escaping for someone who didn’t even know what they were going to do.” Undyne pointed out. Frisk shrugged her shoulders, and Undyne let out a loud chuckle. “Someone who likes adventure in their life!” Toriel stepped forward and placed a large white paw on Frisk’s shoulder, making the human child look up at her.

“Is there no one you wish to return to?” Toriel’s voice was soft as usual, but it didn’t stop Frisk heart from speeding up until it was thundering inside her.

Images flashed through Frisk’s mind of a house littered with beer cans and a small dark room with no way out. A man loomed over her, his face pressed up against hers. Frisk could even smell the stale beer that lingered on his breath. She could only watch, her body frozen with fear as the man raised a hand, and brought it back down with force.

“My child?” Toriel’s voice brought Frisk out of her thoughts and she shook off the lingering memories. “If you do not have anywhere to go, perhaps you could stay with me?” Frisk turned to look at Toriel, her heart filling with joy at the idea of being able to have a real family.

Frisk opened her mouth, ready to tell Toriel how she could like nothing better than to stay with her. Before she could get the words out, another memory appeared in Frisk’s mind. This one even more horrifying than the memory of the man.

Toriel was before her, crouched on the ground and holding a gushing wound on her side. She looked at Frisk with her usually soft brown eyes, which were now narrowed in a seething glare.

"Y…you…really hate me that much? Now I see who I was protecting by keeping you here. Not you…But them!"  
  
Frisk's entire body went numb as she watched Toriel’s body begin to dissolve into dust.

“HUMAN?” Frisk turned her eye away from Toriel until they landed on Papyrus. He was still standing next to Undyne, a look of concern on his skeletal face. “ARE YOU OKAY?”

The image changed once again, and Frisk found herself back in Snowden. Papyrus's body crumpled into a heap on the ground with his severed head resting on the ground in front of him.

"ST…STILL! I BELIEVE IN YOU! YOU CAN DO A LITTLE BETTER! EVEN IF YOU, DON'T THINK SO!" Frisk watched as Papyrus began to disappear. The wind carried away his dust until there was nothing left but his bright red scarf.

“I can’t,” Frisk finally spoke. She pulled herself from Toriel’s grasp until she was far enough away for the final remnants of the memory to fade. “I…I mean I can’t stay with you, here. My parents are probably worried sick about me.” Frisk looked over her shoulder at the rising sun once more. “Especially since I’m not sure how long I was in the underground.” Frisk turned back to look at her friends and felt a stab in her heart at the saddened looks that crossed their faces. Especially Toriel, who had the strongest look of rejection of her face. Frisk could feel tears being to well up in her eyes, but she pushed them back down.

Even Sans looked disappointed from his spot leaning against a tree. Frisk had a feeling that was for a completely different reason though. She knew that Sans remember the different time lines, including the one that haunted her the most. In fact, she was pretty sure her ability to reset was the only thing keeping him from killing her right now. Frisk turned her attention back to the other and tried to give them the best smile she could manage.

“Hey, it’s not like you guys will never see me again right? I’ll definitely come to visit as much as I can!” Frisk said, allowing a smile to grace her lips. Papyrus ran over and wrapped his arms around Frisk and she had to repress a flinch.

“YOU MUST COME AND SEE US EVERYDAY HUMAN!” Papyrus exclaimed. “IT WON'T BE THE SAME WITHOUT YOU.”

“Papyrus is right brat, you had better not be a stranger!” Undyne walked over and rubbed Frisk’s head and she nodded.

“Of course,” Frisk replied. This time she gave them an honest smile as she reached over and embraced the warrior fish as well. She turned to say goodbye to everyone else until there was only Sans left. Frisk couldn’t tell what was going through the skeleton’s head, but she was hesitant to approach him. Memories of him killing her over and over again was enough to make her knees go weak at the idea. She didn’t have much of a choice when Sans finally spoke up.

“Hey kid, you mind walking with me for a minute, I’d like to talk to you in private.” His voice was cheerful, and Frisk tried to relax. When she nodded her head though, she felt her heart sink into her stomach. she had to pull her hands into the sleeves of her favorite sweater to keep the others from seeing them shake.

Frisk had a feeling that she was in trouble.


	2. Chapter 2

Sans stood away from the rest of the group as they enjoyed their first time above ground. He felt his soul grow warm as he watched Papyrus and Undyne play fighting with each other and laughing. Alphys who was sitting nearby giggled behind her hands at the antics of the two. Even Toriel and Asgore were watching the two friends while grinning. 

“Now that we’re out of the underground what will you do?” Alphys caught Sans attention once more, and he turned to find her looking at Frisk. Sans remained silent, curious about what the human’s answer would be. The human was silent, and everyone turned to look at her. 

"I don't know." Sans watched as Frisk brought up a hand to scratch the back of her neck. Sans wasn't sure why, but he was curious about the child's answer. He focused on her reactions as Toriel offered to let the child stay with her. He blinked in surprise when she refused the offer. After all, no sane parent would allow their child to climb up a mountain that no one ever returned from. It was obvious to Sans that there was more to Frisk than he had first believed. Another problem came to the forefront of Sans mind. With the human returning to the city, Sans would be unable to keep an eye on her. If something happened, or if she grew bored and decided to reset the world…

But she hasn’t reset the world yet, a voice in the back of Sans mind whispered. After all, if she had wanted to reset the time line she would have done so by now. The reassurances were nothing compared to the empty feeling inside his soul. Sans wasn't sure he could handle waking up in that familiar bedroom again. He had to make sure that she wouldn’t take away their happiness once again. He watched as she began to say goodbye to the others, before making her way over to him. 

Despite this most recent run being peaceful, Sans could still see the hesitance in Frisk’s eyes as he neared her. He could tell she was trying to hide her trembling hands, but he still caught sight of them through her sleeves. Part of him felt bad, not wanting the child to be afraid of him. The memory of finding Papyrus’s scarf covered in fresh snow and ash squashed the thought. 

“Hey kid, you mind walking with me for a minute, I’d like to talk to you in private.” Sans tried to keep his voice at its usual cheerfulness and was happy when Frisk rewarded him with a nod. 

They walked a short ways down the path that led down the mountain until they were out of earshot of the other. Sans watched Frisk as she fidgets, her hands playing with the sleeves of her pink and blue sweater. Sans remained silent as he tried to think of the best way to say what he needed without terrifying Frisk even more. After a moment he sighed and turned to look at the sun. It was now almost completely over the horizon and casting light on the clear blue sky above them. 

“It's a beautiful day, isn’t it?” Sans asked. He wasn’t too surprised when Frisk remained silent, and he turned to look at her. Frisk had a hesitant look on her face like she wasn’t sure what Sans was getting at. “Look, kid, I know we had some problems back underground,” Sans ignored the way Frisk flinched. “But everything is okay, right? Everyone is happy, and we are finally free to explore the surface. So if you could do me a favor, let's keep it that way okay?” 

Frisk remained silent, and Sans wondered what was going through her mind. It looked like she was debating whether or not to say something, but in the end, she simply sighed. 

“I promise Sans.” Her voice was a whisper, and Sans almost felt bad for not trusting the human child. He had to make sure that it wouldn’t happen again. “No more resets.” Sans gave Frisk his usual grin and wrapped an arm around Frisk’s shoulders. He was happy when she relaxed into the touch after the initial tense. The two turned and began to make their way back down the path. Sans suddenly stopped and turned to look at Frisk once more. 

“Hey kid, are you sure about having people to go back to?” Frisk looked up at him, tilting her head to the side in confusion. “Well, it's just, it's not every day someone climbs a mountain ya know? I guess I figured you were running away from something.” Sans thought back to the way Frisk's face had paled at the mention of her family. It didn’t sit right with Sans when she gave her answer. 

“I was exploring,” Frisk replied giving Sans a smiled that looked even more forced than his own. She pulled away so that she was standing next to him rather than against his side. “I mean, how cool will it be to tell people that I climbed Mt. Ebott and survive right?” Sans gave Frisk a look that he hoped told her that he didn’t believe her but, Frisk didn’t say anything else. Sans watched as she made her way back to the rest of the group. She told them goodbye one more time before turning and making her way down the path. She stopped when she got to Sans and gave him a smile, this one genuine. 

“Thank you, Sans, for everything.” Sans didn’t have to ask what she meant and he turned and watched as she began to descend down the mountain. As he watched her walk away Sans couldn’t help but feel like something or someone was watching him. He turned to see who it might be, but the others had gone back to their conversations. None of them were paying attention to the lone skeleton and Sans shrugged. 

“Must be paranoid,” Sans said to himself, before turning and making his way back towards the others.


	3. Chapter 3

As Frisk made her way down the path that led her back to town. As she walked away, she couldn’t help but think about the promise she had made to Sans. Frisk had wanted nothing more than to tell Sans about Chara. The only thing that stopped her was how unbelievable it all sounded. What kind of excuse was being possessed by the dead adopted daughter of Toriel and Asgore? It was difficult for Frisk to wrap her mind around herself. Then there was the question of how much was Chara and how much had been a scared Frisk? After all, Frisk wasn't forced into killing the froggits. Fear was what had made her listen to the little voice in her head telling Frisk to kill them before they killed her.

 

The path let out at a large nature reserve that was empty in the early morning hours. There was no one to question Frisk as she made her way out of the park. She followed the road for a little while before the beginnings of a city began to form in front of her. It felt like forever ago that she had been walking down this road in the opposite direction.

 

As Frisk finally entered the city limits, people, where beginning to fill the streets. The sun was high in the sky as she made her way into an apartment complex on the edge of town. Kid where running around playing with one another and ignoring Frisk as she passed them. She made her way to a building in the very back of the complex and up a flight of stairs only to stop at the worn green door. Her heart was racing in her chest and she wanted nothing more than to bolt once more, but she knew she couldn’t.   
If Frisk stayed anywhere in the city, then the police would drag her back kicking and screaming. Her only hope was that her father was still asleep as she reached for the doorknob and opened the door.

 

Luck was not on Frisk's side as she pushed open the door. Her father was sitting in the living room, a can of beer already in hand. Football was playing on a small second-hand TV that was sitting on the floor. He looked up when Frisk closed the door behind her and Frisk felt a slow creep of ice crawl through her veins. After everything that happened in the underground, it was hard to control her panic as it filled her.

 

“And where have you been?” Her father snapped, turning his dark brown eyes towards Frisk. Frisk remained silent knowing nothing she said would help her. She back up against the door when her father rose to stand, her back hitting the door and trapping her. Her father stomped towards her and grabbed her arms and yanked her away from the door. Frisk forced her feet to move as her father dragged her down the hall. Her father tossed Frisk into her bedroom, and Frisk grunted as she landed on the floor.

 

“What have I told you about leaving the house without permission?” Her father asked once more as he pulled his belt off his bloated waist. Frisk, who had fallen onto the floor when her father threw her, curled up into a little ball.

 

“Not to leave without asking.” Frisk whimpered. She could feel tears begin to well up in the corners of her eyes, though she struggled to hold them back. Crying would make the man in front of her angrier.

 

“Exactly, and what did you do?”

 

“Leave without asking.” Frisk watched as her father folded the belt in half and took a step towards her. She flinched back but knew better than to try and run away.

 

“Good, then you know exactly why you are being punished.” Frisk looked up at her father to see a faked look of sympathy on his face. “If you would do what you're supposed to then I wouldn’t have to do this.” And with that, the belt rained down and Frisk let out a silent cry as the belt made contact with her arm.

 

Frisk blocked out the belt as it continued to hit against her skin, only crying out when it hit her in the face. When the blows finally died away Frisk curled up on the ground with tears falling down her sore face.

 

“You are not to leave this room for any reason for the rest of the day, am I understood?” Frisk nodded her head, her throat too tight with strained sobs to speak. With that, her father turned and walked out of the room slamming the door behind him. Frisk waited until she was sure her father wouldn't return, before breaking down into sobs. she covered her mouth with her hands so that she didn't disturb her father.

  
It wasn’t until she had calmed herself that Frisk finally pulled herself off the floor. She winced as her abused body protested the movement as she made her way over to her bed. Frisk sighed as the worn mattress eased some of the pain in what she knew were going to be bruising.

 

“Why did I come back?” Frisk whispered to herself. She remembered the warm embrace of Toriel. She had felt with the goat monster despite being afraid the first time Frisk had met her. She remembered how Papyrus and Sans had made her smile and treated her like a friend. How Undyne made Frisk feel confident like Frisk could take on the world. Frisk also remember the knife as it sliced through everyone, making the tears fall harder.

 

“I’m sorry.” She whispered, allowing her eyes to slip shut and her mind to drift away. “I’m so sorry you guy.” With that, Frisk drifted off into a restless sleep.

 

When Frisk came too she started, surprised to find herself in familiar looking ruins. The air around her was cold, making Frisk wrap her arms around herself to keep warm.

 

“Hello?” Frisk called out, her voice trembling. There was no reply and Frisk took a hesitant step forward.

 

A single light appeared illuminating a patch of grass that Frisk hadn’t seen before. In the middle of the patch of grass was a single golden flower, looking up at Frisk with large black eyes. There was a grin stretching across his face and Frisk stumbled backward. She collapsed to the floor in her haste to escape the creature before her.

 

“N-no, you’re gone.” Frisk murmured to herself, though the flower didn’t seem to hear her as it began talking.

 

“"You're not really human, are you? No. You're empty inside. Just like me.” Flowey asked, and Frisk shook her head.

 

“No, I’m nothing like you.” Frisk protested, but Flowey ignored her as he continued.

 

“In fact…you’re Chara right?” It was like freezing water had washed over her before the scene changed once more. This time was she standing in front of the ruins exit. In front of her was the door that would lead her to Snowdin, and between Frisk and the door was Toriel.

 

She was kneeling on the ground, holding a wound in her side. Crimson liquid leaked onto the floor with an echoing splash.

 

“"Y…you…really hate me that much?” Toriel's normally comforting eyes were narrowed in hatred as she looked at Frisk.

 

“I didn’t mean too!” Frisk could feel tears begin to prick at the corners of her eyes, but she still had no control over her own body. Either way, Toriel didn’t seem to hear Frisk as she continued to glare at the trembling child.

 

“Now I see who I was protecting by keeping you here.” Frisk didn't pay attention to her arm as it rose on its own. It was the glint of metal that caught her attention. “No please don’t!” Frisk lunged at Toriel, but the scene faded before the strike landed. Frisk was now standing in a clearing in Snowdin forest. Her entire body was trembling, and Frisk collapsed to the snow covered ground. She didn't notice the frost biting through the thin cloth that covered her legs.

 

Before her was Papyrus. He had a gash across his chest, but unlike Toriel there was no anger in his eyes. Instead, his gaze was hopeful, pleading. Pleading for mercy.

 

“PLEASE HUMAN, I KNOW YOU CAN DO BETTER IF YOU JUST TRY.” Papyrus tried to reason. Frisk could feel the cold tears begin to race down her cheeks, and she wanted to show him mercy. He had been the first monster Frisk meet in the underground who hadn’t terrified her.”

 

“You are gonna have a bad time kid.” Frisk whipped around and found she was no longer standing in the clearing. Instead, she was in a large gold colored room. She felt her body go numb, and she staggered back a few paces. Her mind begged her what she was seeing to be false.   


Standing before her was Sans with his hands in his hoodie and his eyes down cast.

 

“Could you at least pretend to be human?” Sans looked up and Frisk began hyper ventilating as she stared into the glowing blue eye.

 

“It wasn’t my fault!” Frisk cried, tears coming even faster now as she struggled to find the right words. “Please, Chara made me I’m so sorry Sans.”

 

“Oh you wish that were true don’t you?” Frisk spun around once more and faced someone that scared her even more than Sans. Her entire body went cold and all hope drained out of her body.

 

In front of Frisk was a young girl, that looked like Frisk. She had a similar brown hair and pale skin. The only real difference was the girl’s eyes which were the color of blood. The young girl giggled and it would have been adorable if Frisk didn’t know the monster standing before her.

 

“Chara.” The name came out as a whisper, and Chara giggled once more.

 

“You know, you’re funny Frisk acting like all this was my fault. Like you’re somehow above the consequences of your own action.” Frisk didn't have a chance to blink before the demon girl was standing in front of her. Frisk could feel Chara’s warm breath brush up against her own cool skin and it made Frisk shiver.

 

“Admit it you were scared, you wanted them to leave you alone.” Chara’s grin stretched across her face and Frisk took a few steps back. She wanted to put as much space between her and Chara as possible. “All I did was give you the determination to do what you needed to do.” Frisk could feel a new round of tears begin to well up in her eyes as she shook her head.

 

“I didn’t want to kill anyone.” Frisk cried, bringing up her hands and gripping her chocolate brown locks. “Please, leave me alone.” This time Chara let out a laugh that had Frisk covering her ears, wanting everything to stop.

 

“You can’t get rid of me partner.” Chara sneered the last word as though it tasted disgusting coming off her tongue. “You and I are connected, and I will always be here whether you like it or not.” Chara paused and turned to look over her shoulder for a brief moment. When she turned back to Frisk, she was grinning once more.

 

“Whelp looks like our time is up.” With that Chara reached forward and pushed Frisk, who found herself falling into a dark abyss. The fall seemed almost never ending and Frisk wondered if she was going to die.

 

Frisk bolted upright in bed and immediately covered her mouth with her hands. Her chest heaved as she attempted to catch her breath while remaining as silent as possible. Tears streamed down her face as she listened for any signs that her parents had heard her nightmares.

 

The house remained silent.

 

Frisk pulled her legs up to her chest and buried her face into her knees in a desperate attempt to muffle her sobs. She knew that if she made a single sound than her father, would storm into the room. So she sobbed, alone in her misery.


	4. Chapter Four

 

Sans watched from a distance as more monster began to make their way out of the underground. Stepping into the sun for the first time in centuries now that the barrier was gone. Undyne, Papyrus and the Royal guard where attempting to keep control of the situation. They instructed people on where to go, giving them there own place to set up a temporary shelter. King Asgore had ordered that the monster remain near the entrance of the underground. That way they could prevent human contact until the royals could speak with them. Makeshift tents littered the area around the entrance of the cave. Sans knew that it was only a matter of time before monster began moving further down the mountain. That would increase the possibility of encounters with humans.

Sans leaned back against the tree he was currently sitting under. He folded his arms behind his head as he settled in to take a nap. He didn’t even have a chance to close his eyes before Papyrus came running up to him.

“SANS WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Papyrus asked, crossing his arms over his chest. “YOU SHOULD BE HELPING EVERYONE GET SET UP IT’S GOING TO BE DARK SOON.”

“Come on Papyrus I am helping, I’m supervising,” Sans said grinning up at his younger brother. Papyrus sighed and shook his head.

“WE ARE FINALLY ON THE SURFACE AREN’T YOU EXCITED?” Papyrus asked, and Sans shrugged his shoulders.

“You know me Pap. I'm so lazy, I'm bone idle.” Sans grinned up at Papyrus who groaned, bring a hand up to his face.

“THAT WAS FORCED BROTHER, EVEN FOR YOU.” Sans let out a breathy chuckle.

“Yeah I know, it wasn’t very humerus,” Papyrus growled. He was about to start yelling again when Undyne called from near the entrance to the cave.

“Yo Papyrus, what are you doing get your butt over here and help!”

“COMING!” Papyrus called back. He turned to look at Sans one last time, before making his way over to Undyne. Sans watched him go, before leaning back against the tree once more. He looked up at the clear sky that was beginning to get darker as the sunset to the west, and he sighed.

“Why do I have such a bad feeling?” Sans asked no one in particular, before allowing his eyes to slide shut and he drifted off into a restless sleep.

Sans jolted awake sometime later. The last threads of his nightmare disappearing before he could think about it too hard. He was still lying underneath the tree, but the sky was now a rich royal blue. Tiny white dots sprinkled across it like glitter. He glanced to the side and saw Papyrus standing above him once more. This time there was a serious look on his face and Sans was pretty sure his heart would be racing in his chest if he had one.

“Pap, is everything okay?” Sans asked. Papyrus was silent for a moment, looking lost in his own thoughts. Sans was about to repeat himself when the other skeleton finally began to speak.

“King Asgore and Lady Toriel wish to speak with us.” Papyrus murmured. He cast a concerned glance back towards the entrance of the Underground. King Asgore and Toriel had decided to remain until they could speak with the humans.

Undyne and Alphys were already waiting in the throne room when the brother arrived. Asgore was sitting on the throne, staring down at the field of yellow flowers. He looked up as the two skeleton brothers walked into the room.

“Good, everyone is here.” As Sans got a closer look at the monster king Sans realized how tired he was. Sans worried that the king might collapse at any moment now.

“Asgore what is going on?” Undyne asked and for the first time, Sans noticed the look of concern on the Caption’s face. She must have noticed the exhausted look on as well. Asgore remained silent for a moment before sighing.

“Monsters are continuing to leave the underground and as they expand outward. The likelihood of accidental contact with the humans grows every day." Sans remained silent as the listened to the king. He figured that this would become an issue sooner or later.

“So what? The humans are gonna realize the barrier is gone sooner or later,” Undyne pointed out. “Why don’t we go down there and let them know on our terms.”

“Undyne,” Alphys began. Her voice small and hesitant. “Many humans don’t believe we exist and those who do, well let's just  
say they wouldn't be pleased to see us.”

“Alphys is right,” Toriel said from where she was standing next to Asgore. “If we were to go down there the humans would panic and violence would erupt.” The throne room fell silent as everyone processed this new information. It seemed to Sans that even after breaking the barrier they still hadn’t managed to escape their prison.

“WHAT ABOUT THE HUMAN?” Papyrus asked, catching everyone’s attention. “SURELY THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO CONVINCE THE OTHER HUMANS OF OUR GOOD INTENTIONS?” Toriel and Asgore looked at each other and Sans had a sinking feeling in the hollow of his ribs.

“No one has seen or heard from Frisk since she left a week ago,” Toriel replied, and Sans could see the look of concern washed over her face.

“OH, I DO HOPE THAT THEY HAVE NOT COME TO ANY HARM.” Papyrus murmured.

“We should go down their and make sure,” Undyne protested. “After everything, that brat did to free us it is the least we can do.”

“I AGREE.” Papyrus proclaimed. “THE HUMAN IS OUR FRIEND AND WE SHOULD MAKE SURE THEY ARE OKAY.” Asgore raised a hand to stop both of them.

“I understand your concern; however, we must worry about our own people first.” Sans saw Toriel shot Asgore a look of disapproval, though she didn’t say anything. Sans agreed with his brother about checking up on the human. It seemed strange after all that she would stay away for so long after freeing them. Could she be planning something?

“Okay, so what are we going to do?” Sans asked, finally speaking up for the first time since the meeting had started. “You said it yourself, monsters are coming up pretty fast, and I am guessing we don’t have time to wait for Frisk.”

“Correct,” Asgore replied. “That is why Toriel and I have decided to go and speak with the humans ourselves tomorrow night.”

“That sounds like it could be dangerous.” Alphys pointed out. “What if the human gets scared and tries to attack you?”

“That is why we asked you all to come.” Toriel gave Alphys a soft smile. “It is best if we keep a small group, and you are some of the best fighters we have. So Asgore and I would like for you to accompany us to speak with the humans.”

“Well, of course, I am going!” Undyne said, puffing out her chest. “As Capitan of the royal guard, it is my job to make sure both of your remain safes after all.”

“SAME WITH ME!” Papyrus proclaim. “AFTER ALL THE GREAT PAPYRUS COULD NOT MISS OUT OF SUCH AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE HIS GREATNESS.” Sans chuckled but stopped when Toriel turned her gaze to Sans. He looked at her for a moment, before finally sighing knowing that he wasn’t going to get out of this.

“Eh, I guess I can tag along too,” Sans said shrugging her shoulders.

“Um, I’m not much of a fighter so it might be best for me to stay here and keep an eye on things with Mettaton.” Alphys stuttered. Toriel nodded her head.

“Alright, then we will leave as soon as the sun goes down tomorrow. Alphys if you could work on getting the address for the human leader of this town?” Asgore asked looking at the draconian. Alyphs nodded her head and left along with Undyne. Sans and Papyrus turned to leave when Sans felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to find Toriel standing there.

“Thank you, Sans,” Toriel said, her voice a soft whisper. “I appreciate you coming along this evening.”

“Aw, it’s nothing,” Sans replied, shoving his hands into his pockets. He noticed the look of concern was still plastered on her face. “Hey, you okay Tori?”

“I am worried about Frisk,” Toriel admitted, looking towards the entrance of the underground. “When she mentioned her parents before she left, her face became pale. I fear that she may be in danger.” Sans wasn’t sure what to say. He shifted nervously for a moment before sighing.

“Look, even if her parents are a little tough, the kids been through worse. She’s strong.” Toriel nodded her head, but Sans could tell she wasn’t convinced. After a moment he made a show of stretching.

“Whelp, I had better go get some sleep, after all, I am bone tired.” Toriel looked at him for a moment, before giggling behind one of her hands.

“Yes, good night Sans.” Sans gave her a grin, before turning to follow his brother out of the throne room and back out into the open.

The next evening Sans found himself walking along the deserted streets of the town at the foot of Mt.Ebott. The narrow streets were lit only by the occasional street lamp. This made it easy for Sans to gaze up at the stars above him in awe as he had been doing the past few night. They had yet to stop amazing him, and he wondered if they ever would.

In front of him where King Asgore and Lady Toriel with Undyne and Papyrus a short distance behind them. They were dressed in long brown cloaks with the hoods pulled up over their head to hide their faces. Sans had decided to pull up the hood of his favorite blue sweater to cover his face. It was kind of funny watching them walk down the street looking as though they were going somewhere in a hurry.

Which Sans guess that the where, but if they were trying to blend in, then they were failing horribly.

Sans remind silent as he followed behind the group at a much more relaxed pace. They finally reached their destination on the other side of town from the mountain. Here the houses were much nicer than the one they had passed early that evening. Every lawn was clean cut and well taken care of, and every house on the street seem to look the same. They were all two stories, with the same white walls and Sans, rolled his eyes at the sight.

“How boring can humans get?” Sans muttered to himself.

Finally, they reached the house at the very end of the street, which was much bigger than the houses around it. It was also surrounded by a large black fence with a gate that held a small black box. Undyne and Papyrus looked at each other, but Asgore seems to know what he was doing as he reached for the little call box. He pressed a button and there was a sound of static before a man’s voice came over the box.

“Hello, may I help you?” The voice sounded annoyed at being disturbed so late into the evening.

“Yes, I am Asgore, We talked over the phone earlier this morning?” Sans looked at the monster king in confusion, unsure of when he had called the human. Not that he had been paying particular attention.

“ALPHYS SUGGESTED THAT WE CALL AND LET THEM KNOW WE WHERE COMING,” Papyrus whispered as was possible for Papyrus after seeing the look of confusion on Sans face. “THAT WAY HE DOESN’T FREAK OUT WHEN HE SEES US OR ANYTHING.” Sans nodded his head and turned his attention back to the gate as it began to slide open. The group made their way inside, and where greeted by a nice sized courtyard. There was a cicular driveway that leads up to a set of stairs. Standing at the top of the stairs was an older man in a black servers suit. He was giving the monsters a distrustful look and Sans was half tempted to scare the old man. He decided against it and continued to follow Toriel and Asgore as they made their way towards the man.

“Welcome Mr.and Ms. Mayor Randolf has been waiting for you.” He dipped into a bow before standing back up and motioning towards the door. “If you would be so kind as to follow me.” The monsters followed the old man into the house. As they passed through the doorway Sans couldn’t help but give an appreciative whistle.

The group enters the house into a long hallway with doors lining either side of the walkway. Between the doors, artwork was hanging on the wall, and nicknacks sat on dark wood tables. looking at them Sans figured that they must have cost a small fortune. The sound of their footsteps echoed off the hardwood flooring as they made their way down the hall. They finally stopped in front of a large double door, and the old man turned to face them.

“Mayor Randolf is waiting for you inside.” The man gave them another short bow, before turning and walking away from them.

“Well isn’t he a bag of fun,” Sans muttered. Asgore reached forward and opened the doors to reveal a large office area. The first thing Sans noticed where the bookshelves that lined one side of the room. There where titles that Sans had never heard of lined neatly on the shelf. On the other side was a small table with a pitcher of water resting on its surface. There was a picture hanging over the table with what Sans assumed to by the man's family.   
Before Sans could get a closer look, his attention was caught by Asgore who had begun speaking.

“Mayor Randolf it is good to finally meet you in person.” Sans turned to look at the man sitting at the large wooden desk before them.

The man was old, though not as old as their guide had been, with black hair that was sprinkled with white. He looked at Asgore with weary gray eyes, as the monster king made his way over to the chair in front of his desk. The man was wearing a dress shirt, with the first few buttons undone, and the sleeves rolled up to his elbow.

“I wish I could say the same.” Mayor Randolf’s voice was a deep baritone, and Sans watched as the man sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Mr.Asgore you will have to forgive me, I fear that I had believed the stories about Mt.Ebott to be a mere fairytale. It has come to quite a shock to find out different.”

“We understand,” Toriel replied, her voice soft and understanding. “That is why we wished to speak to you as soon as possible. I fear that other human may not react as rational should our presence be known too early.”

“That is getting difficult to do. So many of our people fleeing the underground that has been their prison for centuries.” Asgore continued. “That is why I would like for us to come to some sort of agreement is regards to my people entering the human territory.” Mayor Randolf sighed and lent forwards, lacing his fingers in front of his face.

“I do understand your concern.” Mayor Randolf began, his eyes focused on the monster king in front of him. “However, I am afraid there is only so much I can do.”

“Aren’t you the leader of this town?” Undyne asked. “Do your people not listen to you?” Toriel silenced anything else Undyne might say with a glance.

“I am not sure how it works in the underground, but here on the surface, things work differently. The people help to make decisions that may have an effect on their livelihoods.” He paused and turned his gaze back to Asgore. “I can not allow refugees into city limits without the expressed permission of the people.”

“We understanding,” Asgore replied with a nod. “What must we do then?” Mayor Randolf fell silent once more. The man seems to be thinking about something intently. Finally, after some time he finally spoke up again.

“I can arrange for an emergency town hall meeting for the day after tomorrow. From there we can decide the best course of action until a proper vote can be held. I’m afraid that is all I can offer on such short notice.”

“It is plenty, thank you,” Toriel said bowing her head in a slow nod.

The group said their goodbyes and before being shown out of the mansion by the same elderly man from before. They followed the path they had taken earlier, walking in silence. Everyone was lost in there own thoughts. As far as Sans was concerned the human was making excuses. He cared too much about with how he looks in the public eye to extend a hand to those in need. In the end, though Sans wasn’t particularly surprised. After all, humans were as self-centered as Sans remembered.

“WELL, THAT COULD HAVE GONE A LOT WORSE.” Sans let out a chuckle. Leave it to Papyrus to be the optimistic one.

“Yeah, but it could have gone a lot better too,” Undyne muttered. She crossed her arms over her chest. “What leader is so scared of his people lashing out that they need their consent to make decisions?”

“We must accept the way things are here on the surface if we are to live peacefully with the humans,” Toriel said, placing a hand on Undyne's shoulder. The royal captain sighed but relaxed her arms in defeat.

“I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens,” Sans muttered, and they continued on to Mt.Ebott intense silence."

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live! 
> 
> I'm sorry for how long it took to get this chapter out. No matter what I did it still felt like something was off. Anyway, I decided to just post the chapter as is instead of putting it off any longer, so I hope you enjoy!

The morning after returning home Frisk found herself settling into her old routine. Frisk walked into the kitchen to find that her father was waiting for her. He was sitting at the small dining room table that was rarely ever used nursing a black coffee. Frisk hesitated in the doorway for a moment, unsure if she should go in when her father spoke up. His words where slurred, sounding hungover from the previous evening. 

“Well don’t stand there like an idiot. Get in here and make something to eat so you can get your ass to school.” Frisk did as told, pulling together the stuff to make a bowl of cereal. As she got her breakfast ready Frisk could feel the tension in the kitchen. It got so bad that she jumped when her father spoke up once more. Milk splashed over the side of the bowl. 

“Listen here young lady,” Her father began. Frisk turned to look at her father knowing better than not to look at him while he was speaking. “I want you to go to school, then come straight home, no going to hang out with any of your friends or nothing like that. Am I understood?”

“Yes sir.” Frisk muttered though she could feel her heart drop a little in her chest. She had been hoping to go and visit her friends at Mt.Ebott later that day. Even worse, she had no way of telling them about her punishment. Would they think she had abandoned them? 

“In fact, I don’t want you going anywhere accept to school until I say so. That will make you think twice before trying to run away again.” 

“Yes sir.” Frisk muttered again, before turning to finish making her cereal. 

School that day was even harder than it was before Frisk’s adventure in the underground. She had a hard time focusing on what her teachers where saying. Her thoughts always drifted to her friends. She wondered what they were doing now that they where on the surface. She cursed herself for losing the phone that Toriel had given her during her fight with Asriel. 

The rest of the week continued on much of the same.  Frisk would wake up, go to school, then come home to homework and a ridiculous amount of chores courtesy of Frisk’s father . Every night Frisk would collapse into her bed exhausted. That didn’t stop the dreams from haunting her. 

Every night Frisk would see her friends dying at her own hands, and it always changed who was dying. Sometimes it was Toriel and Papyrus, other times it was Mettaton and Undyne. The dreams that haunted her the most where the dreams of her fight against Sans. When she woke up in the normal her entire body was swore and it felt as though she hadn't slept at all. 

When the weekend finally reached Frisk looked forward to being able to relax a little. When she walked into the apartment on Friday afternoon though she  was surprised . Her father was not only awake, but he was actually dressed. He was wearing a dark colored t-shirt with the name of a local bar written on it, and a pair of worn out blue jeans.  When Frisk closed the door behind her, her father looked up from where he was struggling to put on his favorite black boots . 

“There you are,” He muttered. He finished putting on his shoes before standing up and walking over to her. Frisk flinched as the smell of alcohol hit her nose and her father grabbed her arm. “Listen here, I am going down to the bar with some of the guys. I want this house spotless when I get back understood?” Frisk nodded her head, not trusting her voice. She was thankful when he finally released her arm. “And I had better not find out you left the house without permission.” Again Frisk nodded her head. She watched her father until he slammed the door behind him. 

For a moment Frisk stood there, unsure of what to do. It wasn’t like her father hadn’t left her home alone before. Usually Frisk would do her chores and use this chance to watch TV before heading to bed. As she thought about it though, Frisk realized that her father wouldn’t be back until the next morning. That gave her ample time to go and visit her friends at Mt. Ebott. 

 

With a smile Frisk ran to her room and changed into some different clothes. She made sure that the bruises where hidden, before heading to the mirror to make sure she looked decent. She stopped in her tracks and looked at the large bruise that had blossomed on the side of her face for a moment. The people at school had bought her excuse of tripping up the stairs, but would the monster buy the same excuse? Frisk couldn’t bare the idea of them finding out about her father. She would have to make sure she was even more convincing than usual. 

After brushing out her hair Frisk turned and left, a smile on her face for the first time in a week. . 

When she finally reached the trail that lead up the mountain, Frisk had to stop herself from breaking into a run.  She finally gave into her desire as she neared the entrance of the underground, but came to a quick stop as she took in the site in front of her . 

The ledge where the entrance of the underground laid was completely covered in tents as was the cave right at the opening . There was enough space for the monsters to walk, and Frisk took a few moments to try and restart her brain.  She hadn’t expected so many monster to be above ground already, though Frisk knew that she shouldn’t be so surprised . 

No one seem to pay her any attention as she made her way through the camp. Monster where basking in the sunlight and talking with one another.  As she made her way towards the entrance of the underground Frisk felt a blanket of tension laying over the area . Frisk began to worry: had something happened? 

“HUMAN!” A voice called out as she finally reached the entrance of the cave. Papyrus was standing to one side, and he came rushing over as soon as he saw her. Before Frisk could say anything Papyrus scooped her up into his arms and spun her around. Frisk had to force back a wince as Papyrus put pressure on the still sensitive bruises, but returned his hug. “HUMAN IT IS SO GOOD—” Papyrus stopped mid sentence after placing Frisk back down on the ground. Frisk braced herself for the question she knew was coming. “HUMAN WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FACE? SURELY IT IS NOT SUPPOSE TO BE THAT COLOR.” 

“It’s called a bruise.” Frisk answered. “I fell down some stairs at home and smacked my face into the railing.” 

“OH, WELL IF THAT IS THE CASE THEN YOU SHOULD BE MORE CAREFUL.” Frisk gave a little laugh as Papyrus picked her up once more, and began to carry her further into the cave. “NOW COME THE OTHERS WILL BE EXCITED TO SEE THAT YOU ARE SAFE!” Frisk didn’t even bother arguing, going along as Papyrus decided to throw Frisk up onto his shoulders. 

When they walked into the underground throne Frisk found everyone standing around.  Undyne, Alphys and Mettaton where standing off to one side talking about something that had Undyne excited .  Asgore and Toriel where over by the thrones, watching the three with amused expressions . Even Sans was there, though it looked as though he had fallen asleep in a little alcove on the opposite side of the room. 

“THE HUMAN HAS FINALLY RETURNED!” Papyrus called out catching everyone’s attention. Even Sans woke up from his nap, though he was only looking at them with one socket. 

“Hey brat, about time you showed up, we where starting to get worried!” Undyne cheered as she ran over to Papyrus and Frisk. “Hey what did you do to your face, you get into a fight with someone or something?” That caught Toriel’s attention who ran over and plucked Frisk from Papyrus’s shoulders. 

“My child what happened?” Toriel asked. Frisk gave ger as big a smile as she could mange. 

“I tripped going up some stair at my house and hit the railing.” Frisk said, mimicking the story she told Papyrus. “Don’t worry it will go away in a few days.” Toriel didn’t look convinced, but didn’t say anything as she enveloped Frisk into a hug. 

“I am glad you are okay.” Toriel said as she released Frisk. “I had feared something happened to you.” Frisk raised an arm to scratch the back of her head. 

“Yeah sorry about that, my dad was pretty mad when I disappeared so I’ve  been grounded for the past week.” Frisk explained. Toriel nodded her head in understanding. She stepped to the side as Undyne stepped forwards and placed Frisk in a headlock. 

“Next time warn us before you disappear like that brat, you had everyone worried.” Frisk laughed and nodded her head as she manged to squeeze out of Undyne’s hold. She turned her attention to Asgore. 

“It seems like a lot of monster where pretty eager to leave the underground.” Frisk pointed out. “I's surprised by how many are already on the surface.” Toriel and Asgore looked at each other, and Frisk felt her stomach do a flip as the sick feeling came back. “Is everything okay.” 

“Yes, everything is fine child, but we did have a meeting with your Mayor the other evening.” Asgore began, and Frisk tilted her head to the side. “I am sorry, but we couldn’t wait until you came back to speak with the humans. So many of us are eager to leave the underground behind forever.” 

Though Frisk knew that the monster king hadn’t meant the words to be harsh, she couldn't help but wince. Her stomach twisted even tighter and she felt like she was going to be sick. Once more she had failed the people she had promised to help. Did they need her at all? Frisk struggled to put the thoughts out of her head, and she coughed before she spoke up once more. 

“What did he say?” She was thankful that her voice sounded somewhat normal. There was no hint of the shakiness that threatened to consume the rest of her body. 

“There is to be a city meeting tomorrow evening. We will be discussing the best course of action to begin integrating the monsters in with the humans.” Frisk nodded her head in understanding as she finally managed to calm her racing heart. 

“Do you think your father will let you attend?” Toriel asked. Frisk knew that more then likely her father would refuse, if he didn’t give her a beating for asking in the first place. She also knew that with tomorrow being Saturday her father would  be passed out drunk for most of the day. That gave her the freedom to come and go as she pleases. She looked up at Toriel and smiled once more. 

“Yeah, once I tell him whats going on I’m sure he wont mind if I come to help you guys out.” Toriel returned Frisk’s smile. 

Frisk decided that even if they didn’t need her help that she would ber there to support them. She would do whatever was in her power to make sure that the humans where accepting of her monster friends.

 


	6. Chapter 6

The underground was nothing but a ghost town, with silence echoing everywhere. With everyone making their way through the barrier, Flowey often found himself lonely. He longed for the days when there where still others to torment. He didn't dare join the others above ground, however. He had seen the way that trash bag comedian had taken down Chara again and again. Flowey didn't want that anger directed towards him.

Flowey was in his usual spot at the entrance of the ruins, looking up at the underground entrance. He was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn’t notice the shadow that had entered the area. A shiver went down Flowey’s stem and he began to look around the small area. He tried to figure out what was causing the uncomfortable feeling coursing through him.

“Who’s there?” Flowey demanded after not seeing anyone. Silence echoed through the chamber. Was Flowey starting to go mad from the isolation? There was a light giggle that echoed around the room. “Alright show yourself!”

“Very demanding aren’t you Flowey?” A voice asked. It sounded like a young girl, and for a moment Flowey thought that it was Frisk. There was something there that seemed malicious though. Flowey looked around in confusion.

“Chara?” Flowey asked hesitantly. The voice didn’t say anything, and Flowey knew that he had guessed right. He felt a rush of excitement at the prospect of Chara returning. “It is you, isn’t it? I knew that you would get bored of this timeline; are you ready to reset?”

“Not just yet,” Chara said, and Flowey was wondering why she hadn’t shown herself yet. “There is something I need you to do before I can reset the timeline again.”

“Oh?”

“The monsters are planning to meet with the human tomorrow evening. They want to begin living with the human on the surface.”

“Yes, I know.” Flowey rolled his eyes. “Sounds completely boring if you ask me.” Chara giggled again, and Flowey trembled as the sound seem to flow through him.

“I need you to do whatever it takes to make sure the humans don’t trust them.” Chara continued. “Telling them about the murdered children should do the trick.”

“What does that have to do with resetting the timeline?” Flowey asked. He narrowed his eyes and attempted to see into the shadows to see where Chara was. “Where are you anyway?”

“I’m not here if that is what you’re wondering,” Chara said, her voice sounding serious. “And why I want the humans to distrust the monsters is none of your concern.”

“Hey, you're the one asking me to put my neck out on the line here,” Flowey growled out. “If they find out what I did then I’m dead.” The cave fell silent and Flowey began to feel an emotion that he hadn’t felt in a while.

Fear.

“You always were such a coward Asriel,” Chara said, her voice having dropped several octaves. Now Flowey could clearly tell that this wasn’t the same Chara he had known when he was Asriel. This was something completely different, something purely evil.

He liked it.

“Alright, I’ll help you.” Flowey agreed, a twisted grin stretching across his face. “This should be fun.”

With that Flowey plunged into the ground, and the room was left empty. There was a finally eerie giggle before everything fell silent once more.

Chara watched from her spot in the void as Flowey disappeared beneath the earth. Her usual grin stretched across her face as her plan began to come together. After a moment, Chara felt as though a presence had joined her, and she turned around to see who her new visitor was.

“Oh, it’s you.” To anyone else, the figure would have appeared as nothing more than a mess of twisting and withering shadows, but Chara knew exactly who her visitor was. After all, it was the only other person who was stuck in this prison with her. “Come to try and stop me then?” She asked, grin still firmly in place. The shadow remained silent, and Chara cocked her head to the side. “What, void got your tongue?”

“You are planning a risky game demon.” The shadow finally replied though the words seem to appear in Chara mind, rather than them being said allowed. “There are other worse than I who have been alerted to your plans, and they will stop you.” Chara let out a laugh, wrapping her arms around her stomach.

“You think I’m scared of those clowns?” Chara asked. She looked at the shadow curiously, her head tilting ever so slightly to the side. “Let them just try and stop me. There magic is much too weak in this day and age.”

“Perhaps.” The shadow replied, and Chara felt the smile slide from her mouth.

“And why should you be concerned?” Chara asked. “I figured you wouldn’t care one way or the other.” Again the shadow stayed silent, and Chara rolled her eyes and turned back to the screen in front of her. She felt the shadow fade away, and she was alone once more.


End file.
